


Heart Shaped Cookie

by WaxRhapsodic



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-14
Updated: 2015-02-14
Packaged: 2018-03-12 07:25:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3348641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WaxRhapsodic/pseuds/WaxRhapsodic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You look at me with your whole heart in your eyes. I should have known that my heart was looking back.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Heart Shaped Cookie

Merlin glared at the clock, time was going too fast and too slow. How was that a thing? 

He sighed and turned his attention back to the task at hand.

This happened to be dipping strawberries for the Valentines Day display. The pastry shop where he worked had been slammed today, as it was every year around the 14th when every person lucky enough to be in a relationship suddenly remembered to buy sweets for their loved ones.

Typically Merlin loved the rush, the romance in the air, the whole shebang. This year was different, not the first year he had been single, not the first year he had worked the Valentine's rush. 

It was however the first year he had rashly invited his secret crush to spend the most romantic day of the year with him on the advice of his mentally unstable sister.

He and Arthur had struck up a friendship of sorts exactly two years ago when he came into the shop to purchase the typical chocolate covered strawberries for his then girlfriend Gwen.

He had seen a Drop Dead Gorgeous Adonis glaring at the display case as though it had personally wronged him. The counter clerk Freya had stepped in with a cheery grin and an offer of assistance. Arthur rebuffed her rudely, twice. Merlin decided to step in to help before it came to blows. 

“Hello sir, is there anything I can help you with today?” He had ushered a quietly fuming Freya to assist another client. 

“Is this all you have? I’m looking for something special and none of this fits the bill.” He gestured derisively at the accumulated hours of work that Merlin and his coworkers had put in to make the –award winning-display. 

Merlin strained to hold his smile. “Yes sir, this is what we have on offer today. May I ask what you had in mind? We’ll see if we can’t get something together for you. “

“Something special, elegant,…perfect but not cliché! I came in for chocolate dipped strawberries, but look at them!” 

Merlin felt his smile crack at the edges. There was a reason he worked in the back, his snark was rarely appreciated by the wealthy clientele the shop catered to. 

He couldn't afford to piss off another customer, especially one kitted out in tailor made everything. Merlin was willing to bet that even his shoes were bespoke. 

Morgana would kill him, though if she were handling this guy, she’s be gritting her teeth as well. 

Remember Morgana was his mantra when he was forced to assist entitled jerks at the counter. 

He still had a bruise from her twisting his ear the week before when she caught him making out with the Albert Uster delivery guy in the pantry. That’s what he got for working for his crazy sister. 

Freya shot him a sympathetic look as she created a small gift box and packed it with truffles for her-much more reasonable- client.

“…I mean really! You call this gourmet? Hey! Are you even listening?”

“Hard not to with these ears.” Merlin replied on automatic, having learned early on that making the joke himself was better than waiting for someone else to make it for him.

And apparently it had another benefit. It shut Tom Ford up.

“I wasn't… I didn't mean. That is your ears are…”  
“Enormous? Ridiculous? Absurd? Yeah, I know I've heard it all before.” The guy blushed. Adorably, ugh why did this prick have to be exactly his type? And here buying sweets for someone else. 

Good to know life was still unfair. 

Gorgeous Blond dragged his hand through his short hair, now contrite. “Look, I'm sorry I just need tonight to be special, I'm asking my girlfriend to move in with me and I want it to go off without a hitch.”

And he was straight, checkmate.

“Alright mate, I can help with that, look here we have hand rolled-“ 

“I just wanted to apologize for uh making personal statements. It was uncalled for.”

Merlin laughed, “You didn't I did, and it was a joke, you need to lighten up mate.”

Sexy He Devil blushed again and looked away. “I'll have to try that…”

“Merlin.”

“Merlin, really?” 

“Now you're making personal statements…”

“Arthur, and yeah the earlier apology applies here too.”

Merlin smiled effortlessly this time. “I have just the thing for your girl. It might be best if you talk as little as possible tonight.”

“Oi! I’ll have you know I’m very charming, at least when it comes to Gwen.”

“I’m sure you are; let’s just make sure you don’t run the poor girl off with your condition.” Merlin turned and took a large heart shaped cookie decorated with chocolate vines and delicate fondant flower and placed in on a slip of parchment paper. 

“Condition?”

“Yeah, worst case of foot in mouth disease I’ve ever seen. “

Arthur laughed outright at that. “Alright what are you getting together back there?”

Merlin held up the now personalized cookie for his approval.

~Come be my love~

Wow, is that written in chocolate? You're good at that.”

“They pay me for a reason.” He winked cheekily.

“Come back and let me know how it goes.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, you’re not so bad when you’re not being prince prat.”

And he really wasn’t. He had come back in mid march for something for their anniversary and Merlin had assisted him again, this time by choice. 

Morgana looked at him knowingly as he rushed to the counter. Damn meddling older sisters.

“Arthur! Let me help you over here.”

“Merlin, your cookie went over well, she moved in last weekend.”

Merlin ignored the twinge in his chest at the reminder of the devoted- now live in- girlfriend.

“Glad to hear it, what’s the occasion this time?”

“Our anniversary actually.”

“Its today?”

“Yeah.”

“Well congratulations! Do you want me to pick for you again? Or has something caught your eye?” For some reason Arthur flushed at that and stepped back from the counter slightly.

“Ah, no, you go ahead and surprise me again.”

“Well, I just made these whipped caramel and nougat truffles; they have been a huge hit. Think upscale Snickers.”

“Sounds great, pack enough for two, and I'll take some chocolate strawberries as well.”

“Do you have time to wait while I dip them?”  
“  
No problem. Merlin, take your time.”

And he did. The only reason it took twice as long as it usually would was because of the scintillating company watching him work and chatting with him across the glass.

He tried to keep his flirting to a minimum. Morgana said he failed. Nice.

And Arthur asked him out, not on a date but to watch a footie match at a pub, turns out they rooted for the same club. Arthur was the odd man out in his group of friends and Gwen didn't like footie at all. 

That’s when Merlin began to fall.

Even after he met Gwen and saw how perfect they were together, his heart still ached when Arthur hugged him when their striker scored. 

His pulse raced when he stopped by the shop for an éclair on the way to the office, when they met for coffee on the weekends.

Time went on and Merlin dated, but his heart wasn't in it, and his dates could tell. They all had one point of advice, “Whoever this guy is get over him or get under him, pronto.”

One year later he was making Gwen, now the fiancée, another Valentine’s cookie. 

“Might have to make them a tradition.”

“Customer loyalty is always appreciated.”

“Your enthusiasm is overwhelming Merlin.” 

And life went on, much the same as it had. Except that somewhere along the way, Merlin had made a new best friend.

Then one night just at the beginning of November, Arthur showed up at Merlin’s flat. It was gone ten and Merlin was old and mature enough to be in bed because he had work the next day. 

He woke to the sound of a key in his lock.

He sprang out of bed, knowing it was either Morgana or Arthur, and something must be very wrong. 

It was.

Arthur had returned early from a business trip, happy to have closed the deal early and in the mood to surprise his fiancée. 

He had heard the shower running and begun to strip planning to join in. But someone beat him to the punch.

That someone was Lance, who Merlin had met, who Arthur had known since they were in short pants. 

Whose betrayal had devastated Arthur arguably more than Gwen’s. 

He was a broken man. 

And Gwen was as classy as ever. She gave the ring back on her way out the door.

Arthur had begun to rebuild himself after the crisis. 

Showing up to Merlin’s flat half dressed in the winter cold had been the low point of his life, and nothing like the fantasies Merlin had built around such moment in his mind. 

If anything, the restraint Arthur showed when dealing with Gwen and Lance had made Merlin love him even more. Though he kept it under wraps, Arthur was in no position to deal with anymore bombshells in his life right then.

That brought them to this morning when he had texted Arthur, 

~We should spend tomorrow together, no point in us both being alone~

Now he was waiting for the reply. Hence his frustration with the clock. 

His phone chimed.

~Sounds great. You bring the strawberries, I’ll bring the champagne~

Damn text with no vocal inflection! Was that flirting? Was it resigned? Disappointed? All Merlin knew was that he wasn't taking any heart shaped cookies to Arthurs new flat.

Turns out he didn't need to. Arthur had handled that himself. 

He dressed up for a date. After all it was Valentine’s Day. 

He arrived at Arthurs impossibly posh new flat that outshone even the one he formerly shared with Gwen.

Merlin loved the place and Arthur loved having him, it had become a second home, but Merlin would be lying if he said he never fantasized about being able to call it home. Being able to call the wonderful man who lived here his, he pushed those thoughts  
aside, ready to enjoy the evening with his friend.

“Arthur-wow, did I get the day wrong? Are you having company?”He called. Every surface of the flat was covered in lit candles. A bouquet of dozens of red and white roses filled the foyer with their scent.

Merlin was about to turn and leave, clearly Arthur had plans; his text must have been teasing though he had no way of knowing how hurtful it would be to Merlin.

He had his hand on the doorknob when Arthur rushed in from the other room. 

“Merlin don’t go, don’t you like it?”

“Like what? Where were you?”

“I was in the kitchen plating up takeaway. You're early!” He accused.

“Well yeah but… look, I should go, you're clearly expecting company.”

“Yes, Merlin. You.”

“What do you call this then?”

“It’s meant to be a grand gesture, is it working?” Arthur stepped forwards and took the box of strawberries from Merlin, setting them on the foyer table next to the roses before pulling Merlin gently into his arms.

“Did you think I didn't know how you feel about me? You look at me with your whole heart in your eyes. I should have known that my heart was looking back. I felt drawn to you from the moment we met. But there was Gwen and I thought that ship had sailed. But here we are Merlin, with a chance to give it a try.”

This was too good to be true. Merlin said as much. “Is this spur of the moment? Some kind of rebound thing?”

“No, Merlin I have been thinking about this for a while. Also I think rebounds happen with strangers within a few weeks of a breakup, not with friends months later.”

“I don't know Arthur. I love you, I do, but I don't want to rush anything and ruin what we have, what we could have.”

“Hey, I don't want to rush either, I want to- need to- take this slow, but I can’t wait around on it and miss my chance with you. So will you Merlin? Take it slow with me?”

Merlin turned sideways in the circle of Arthur’s arms, unable to think with the thing he desired most within his reach if only he had the courage to take it.

That’s when he saw it. On the other side of the roses.

It was a cookie Merlin had baked but not written on. 

“What? Who!”

“Morgana of course.”

“She wouldn’t! You're my customer!” Merlin was decidedly not pouting.

Arthur laughed and pulled him close. “Did she tell you to ask me out tonight?”

“Well, yes, but…”

“But nothing, I asked her to put a bee in your ear.”

“But why? Why not you ask me? And how did you get her to go along with it?”

“Actually you helped with that, remember when I got so down that you were trying anything to make me smile?” Merlin nodded wide eyed.

“Well I may have let slip that I knew the real reason she wears her hair so long, but I could forget it if she helped me out.”

“You didn’t!”

“Oh I did! Good to know those ears run in the family.” He dodged Merlin’s playful swing, “Hey! I like them!” He nipped the corner of Merlin’s left ear tenderly. “And I love the man attached to them.” 

“Really?” Merlin asked softly, still disbelieving. 

“Come on Merlin, would a cookie lie?”

Merlin glanced at the artfully embellished pastry that simply read ~I Love You~ as he turned to kiss his- now boyfriend-for the first time. 

In Merlin’s opinion, cookies had always been the most honest of all pastries. And time and fate proved him right.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!! Let me know what you think or if you notice any spelling and grammar errors! XOXO Comments are always welcomed and adored!!


End file.
